FOLD
Artist’s Note: Part of the inspiration for this study came from a print I have on my studio wall of Marcel Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase. I’ve always loved the movement in that piece and wanted to try to capture it somehow in metal. I also wanted to explore origami-esque folds in identical flat forms and see how dramatically I could alter them without losing the basic visual reference of an abstract figure. The title, FOLD, comes chiefly from the work of philosopher Gilles Deleuze regarding the continual exchange and transformation process that occurs as humans internalize exterior realities and then reintroduce them anew, representing a kind of folding action seen throughout all of reality.
The following quotes are taken from the accompanying essay, FOLD. Read the entire essay here.
“Inspired by [Antony] Gormley’s idea of extension, I wanted to investigate the complexities of the socio-political individual, particularly how individual freedoms and agency extend into and depend on external material and social structures.
My interest here is to engage with some of the recent criticisms of individualism (the weakening of communal relationships, exploitation of the environment, and unsustainable inequalities to name a few).”
FOLD maquettes, Figures 1-6, Fabricated Steel
“A closer examination of the embedded nature of individuals (even ‘rugged’ ones) and their dependence on other people and realities outside of themselves, could give shape to the future of liberalism and possibly resolve some of the valid concerns surrounding the limits of self-interested pursuits. Further, considering how agency likewise extends beyond the individual can solidify the idea that a truly atomistic individual is an impossibility.”
FOLD maquettes, Figures 1-5, Fabricated Steel
FOLD maquettes, Figures 1-6, Fabricated Steel
“One typically thinks of agency as an attribute residing solely within each person, as it’s often defined as “the capacity of individuals to act independently and to make their own free choices.” But individuals never truly act independently and other forces—material, political, economic, and cultural—are constantly acting with and against the individual. Expanding our definition of agency to include these various influences may better reveal our shared reality and open a dialogue toward a more cohesive and functional society.”
FOLD maquettes, Figures 1-6, Fabricated Steel